


Finding Home

by KitaNor



Category: Bunnicula (Cartoon)
Genre: Because yes, Bunnicula is actually somewhat but not completely evil, Chester is bookish and imaginative like he is in the books, It's an alternate universe, M/M, Mina's family's last name is Monroe, Potential character death inside, References to the Dracula books
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 13:23:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10022453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitaNor/pseuds/KitaNor
Summary: Mina and Harold are excited to host an exchange student from Romania. Chester is less than thrilled. Meanwhile, Bunnicula plans to avenge his father and mothers’ deaths and reclaim the homes they’d had built across the world- including the home in New Orleans. But he needs to be discreet- he didn’t want to alert the hunters, after all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so typically speaking it is very rare for me to do AUs, but this idea came to me and I really wanted to do it... so sue me. My other ideas will actually be canon compliant.
> 
> Obviously Bunnicula, the TV series and the original books, and all related characters belong to their rightful owners!
> 
> This will make (loose) references to the original Dracula, but I'll be twisting it slightly (read: majorly) to fit in more with this AU's universe (for instance, Dracula is more like he is depicted in Bunnicula and less like he is in his own book). This twisting might also include species, since it's a universe where humans and anthropomorphized animals coexist...  
> Also because I don’t remember if Mina and her dad were given a last name, they’ll be the Monroe family (referencing the original Bunnicula books). So it is Mina Monroe, Chester Monroe, and Harold Monroe. Plus her dad, but he's unnamed.
> 
> Hey, suggest names for Dad, I'm uncreative.
> 
> ABOUT THE AU: It’s an anthro AU. Chester and Harold are the adopted brothers of Mina, and Bunnicula was the adopted son of Count Dracula and his brides. Chester (18) is a freshman at a community college while Mina (15) is a sophomore in high school and Harold (18) is a senior (one year behind Chester for reasons that will be explained in-story). The three of them are really close, simply calling each other siblings and dropping the “adoptive” label. Their personalities are rather the same as in the show, though Bunnicula is somewhat more sinister and Chester is even more protective and Harold doesn’t drink out of a toilet. So... yes.
> 
> Enjoy the show!

His finger traced over the ring as he grinned at the unfamiliar reflection. Around him, voices carried quietly through the train; the night was young, but many were settling down to sleep, unaware of the danger that they could have been in.

The rabbit didn’t say a word, just gazing out the window as the town in which he’d lived his entire life- and that, he mused as his grin slid away, was a _long_ time- faded into the distance. The castle his father had built was long obscured by the trees surrounding it.

Bunnicula could still remember that day, so long ago- but it was like yesterday. 1893- one hundred and twenty four long years ago. It seemed criminal, at least to him, that it had happened; his father was a good man, his mothers almost as much, no matter what anyone said.

The man who had taken him in off the streets, saving him from a life of slavery or death... yes, he’d been more than happy to accept the vampire’s gift of life that breezy spring night in 1175. He’d been happy and grateful to learn about his new powers with the vampires who raised him.

He’d been proud to call all of them his parents.

Everything had been going right until Harker came along- Jonathon Harker and his little bride-to-be, exposing his father and causing his death. Bunnicula’s fist clenched in his lap, a scowl tugging at his lips as he remembered the man who had resided temporarily in their home.

Bunnicula had been forbidden from meeting him- for his own safety, they had assured. They didn’t want Harker knowing of his existence, just in case he got out alive. As it turned out, he thought, it was a good thing.

The last thing he remembered before his century-long sleep was the ring the blonde vampiress had pushed into his hands, citing that it was from his father, before leading him to a chamber away from where he usually slept.

_“Be good for your mothers and father, Bunnicula,”_ her voice rang in his mind, the worry clear as she looked around nervously. _“They are coming, and you need to hide so that they may not find you.”_

Waking up what felt like an instant later found him completely alone in his dark, dank dungeon-like chamber. Leaving the chamber found him standing in his long-abandoned home. He had lost everything.

Oh how he _hated_ the Harkers.

Clutching the ring tightly in his hand, he stared out at the passing landscape. _I will avenge them,_ he silently swore to himself. _I will take back everything that rightfully belongs to us, and destroy everyone even distantly related to the Harkers. And no one can stop me._

* * *

It was serene in the Orlock Apartments that day. With no classes taking up his time, Chester had settled down on the balcony to enjoy the sunlight as he read a book. The air was warm, as summer hadn’t yet faded into fall, but the light gentle as it peeked out from behind clouds. The page, dull with age and use, seemed to glow as the cat smiled, content.

“Chester!” a voice broke through the quiet, and Chester let out a soft sigh and looked up from the pillows he laid sprawled against. A girl with pink-dyed hair came skidding outside, an excited grin lighting up her features. “Chester! Come inside, Dad has something to tell us!”

Before the cat could respond, the girl turned and ran back inside. Rolling his eyes affectionately, Chester slid a bookmark into place and stood up, stretching as he headed back inside and downstairs to the living room.

“What’s going on?” Chester asked, dropping down onto the couch next to a dog. The dog’s tail wagged wildly and Chester leaned forward, not fancying getting smacked by it.

“Well,” Dad began, lowering his magazine to look at them from where he sat in another chair. “We’ll be hosting a study-abroad student at your college, Chester!”

Mina cheered and Harold gasped, his tail somehow speeding up as it wagged. Chester frowned. “A study abroad student?” he repeated, glancing at his sister and brother. “Do they even do that at community colleges? And, uh, rules-”

“They asked to stay at the Orlock Apartments and I offered to let them stay here,” Dad explained quite happily. Chester felt somehow uneasy.

“But that’s not how that works,” Chester argued, setting his book on the table in front of him. “Foreign exchan-”

“Are we getting a new brother?!” Harold asked excitedly, bouncing in his spot. “Are we?”

“Temporarily,” Dad confirmed, apparently completely ignoring Chester’s argument. The cat huffed. “He’s only here for this school year.”

“Why wasn’t he-” Chester began, but Mina cut him off with, “This is so exciting, I _have_ to call Becky and Marsha! They’ll be _so_ jealous!”

“What’s his name?” Harold asked.

“Where’s he from?” Mina continued.

“How old is he?”

“What’s his species?”

“What-”

“One question at a time!” Dad laughed, lifting his hands up to quiet his excited children. Chester leaned on his knees, frowning. “His name is Bunnicula Mattei, quite a strange name if you ask me but! He’s from Romania, he’s nineteen and is a rabbit. Now, we need to talk sleeping arrangements!”

“He can sleep in my room,” Mina immediately offered.

“Nope!” Dad responded the same moment Chester practically screeched, “No way!” Mina pouted and leaned her arms on her legs.

“Party poopers,” she muttered, but neither her father or older brother gave it a second thought.

“I was thinking, have him in the boys’ room,” Dad told them, gesturing towards Chester and Harold.

“It’s already cramped with two people,” Mina complained, pouting. “Come on, Dad, three people-”

“I can sleep on the couch,” Chester deadpanned. He wasn’t comfortable with the thought of letting a stranger sleep in his bed, but he was even less comfortable sleeping in the same room as a stranger.

That was why he didn’t go to university, after all- not until Harold could go with him.

“Nonsense!” Dad practically boomed, smiling much too widely for Chester’s comfort. “Whoever leaves the room can sleep in my room!” Chester’s eyes widened in horror at the mere thought- he hadn’t slept in the same room as their father since he was a kitten! How embarrassing would that be? “And besides, he’s going to _your_ school, Chester- you should room with him!”

“What- no no no no no,” Chester protested, standing up as Harold whined and Mina huffed. “I don’t _want_ to room with-”

“It’s settled then,” his father hummed, opening the magazine up and leaning back in his seat. “Bunnicula will be here this Saturday. We’ll go meet him as a family.”

Harold and Mina apparently found reason to cheer at that. Chester, however, wanted to just jump off the balcony and get it over with.

Something about this didn’t seem right.


End file.
